Any iPhone 4 color you want as long as its black. Okay, white!

What's wrong with this picture? The color!

By John Cox on Thu, 07/22/10 - 9:01am.

You think people really want copy-paste on the iPhone 4? Or multi-tasking? Or even that creepily-named FaceTime video chat?

No. What they really want is white. A white iPhone.

[UPDATE, Friday 23 July: Apple announces the white models will be delayed until "later this year." The company's complete statement: "White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."]

Notice anything odd about this: a company called "Apple" only offers its most successful product in black. And any day, or week, now in white. Ever seen a black apple? Or a white one? Have you ever seen a GrannySmithGreen iPhone? A GoldenDelicious iPhone. Or, for that matter, a Macintosh-colored Mac?

And please: don't talk to me about the "colorful" iPodshuffles: they look like lip gloss dispensers channeling "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

The design center for iPhone color is Steve Jobs' turtleneck. And now, apparently, the t-shirt he wears under it. If he does. Let's not go there.

Apple keeps saying "This changes everything!" Everything except the non-color. The first iPhone was black. And the next one, and the next one after that. And now this one. Except now there's white.

Black. White. White. Black. I get it: it's 21st century Minimalism. That sounds better than "boring."

Just listen to some of the options that are available; just saying the names qualifies as a sensual experience. Crimson. Raspberry. Magenta. Slateblue. Cerulean blue. Peacock. Azure. Cyan. Emeraldgreen. Cadmium yellow. Sienna. Burnt umber. Technically, some of these are pigments as well as colors, but you get the idea.

Compare with: black. And white.

I asked a local color expert, my Wife the Artist. She looked at Apple's pictures of the black iPhone 4 and the white one. She liked the black. I asked her what COLOR she'd like. "Maybe something in a dark red. To go with the [gray] screen. Or maybe dark green. But personally, I'd go with the black one. It's businesslike."

"Businesslike?" This from an artist. "But what color would YOU like?" I asked yet again. She mulled. "How about a holographic finish? You know, one that changes color as you hold it." I gave up.

So, here's the Official Network World iPhone 4 Color Preference Poll. All votes and comments will be ignored by Apple.

Here's the list, with links to Wikipedia examples. Then, take the poll, in a shade of what appears to be Fire Engine Red.

UPDATE: If you want to indulge your own Inner Artist, check out the list of colors at Wikipedia (alphabetically at top, by shade at bottom of page)